Derby Season of Light returns for 2026 igniting Heroes in us!
Surtal Arts presents Derby Season of Light 2026 (DSOL), returning in October with the theme of ‘Heroes’. Celebrating Derby's dazzling diversity and creativity, Derby Season Of Light embraces traditional cultural festivals including Diwali, Hanukkah, Bonfire Night, Christmas, and the Chinese New Year, which all share the common theme of Light. The family-friendly festival, organised by Surtal Arts and supporting partners, brings together cultures and communities with a series of arts activities and events taking place across Derby and Derbyshire.
Derby Lantern Parade, the Season of Light flagship event, will light up the city centre on on Saturday 28th November from 5.30pm. Organised in partnership with Derby LIVE as part of Festive Derby, the Lantern Parade is a precursor to the Derby Christmas Lights Switch-On. Featuring hundreds of community-made lanterns, alongside dance and music performances, the Derby Lantern Parade is open to anyone and free to attend. Using the theme of ‘Heroes’, people are encouraged to dress up in their (super)hero costumes, especially children and join in the parade with their lanterns, igniting heroes inside everyone!
In advance of the parade, Surtal Arts has a programme of artist-led Lantern making workshops offering the chance to make lanterns to take along to the parade. Crafted using biodegradable materials of willow, bamboo and tissue paper, the eco-friendly lanterns can be decorated with this year theme of 'Heroes' and illuminated with a battery-operated LED light.
Surtal Arts are grateful to Cosy Foundation and Foundation Derby for supporting the Derby Season Of Light programme. Surtal have also partnered with Greene King brewery to offer workshops in some of their Hungry Horse and Flaming Grill family pubs. The programme of Lantern-making workshops takes place in Derby and Derbyshire from 27th October to 21st November:
Derby Market Hall (Tennant St, Derby DE1 2DB) on Tuesday 27th October 10.30am -12.30pm and Saturday 14th November 1.00pm - 3.00pm.
Quad (Market Place, DE1 3AS) on Friday 30th October 1.00pm – 3.00pm.
Derby Chinese Welfare Association (Abbey Street, Derby DE22 3SS) on Saturday 31 October, 10.30am – 12.30pm.
Indian Community Centre, (Rawdon St, DE23 6QR) on Sunday 1st November 11.00am to 1.00pm.
The Lodge Pub, (Grange Rd, Alvaston, DE24 0JW) on Saturday 2nd November 7.00pm to 9.00pm
The Nags Head Pub, (Uttoxeter Rd, Mickleover, DE3 9GF) on Saturday 7th November 11.00am to 1.00pm.
The Merlin Pub, (Orient Way, DE24 8BY) on Sunday 8th November 11.00am to 1.00pm.
The Paddock Pub, (Breadsall, DE21 4AW) on Saturday 14th November 11.00am to 1.00pm.
Elvaston Castle & Country Park, (Borrowash Road, Elvaston, DE72 3EP) on Saturday 21st November 10.00am to 12.00pm.
The workshops are suitable for individuals or families and cost £5 per person per lantern All children aged under seven years need to be accompanied. It is advised to book workshop places in advance: https://www.surtalarts.co.uk/event-details/lantern-workshops-2025-10-29-10-00
Derby Season Of Light, the lantern-making workshops and Parade are supported by: Arts Council England, Derby City Council, Cosy Foundation, Foundation Derbyshire, Derby College, Derbyshire Chinese Welfare Association, the Indian Community Centre, Quad, Derby Market Hall and Elvaston Castle & Gardens Trust.
Nathan Geering, Surtal Arts Artistic Director, commented: “Open to everyone, come and join our family-friendly workshops to craft a glowing tribute to a personal role model, local legend, or superhero, led by our expert artists. We are also grateful to Cosy Foundation and Foundation Derbyshire for supporting our programme of workshops taking place within schools and diverse community groups.”
Following through the ‘heroes’ theme, Surtal Community Choir will again be singing Hindi language songs Derby’s official Remembrance Sunday event on November 8 at 10.15am at Derby Market Place. Nisha Nath, the Chairperson of Surtal Arts will also be amongst the dignitaries to lay a wreath at the War Memorial.
Nisha said: “We are delighted to be invited to be part of Derby’s official Remembrance Sunday parade to remember the 3.8million South Asian soldiers – the ‘heroes’ - who alongside allied soldiers across the world, fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today”.
For details of DSOL, please see: https://www.surtalarts.co.uk/derby-season-of-light-2026
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ABOUT SURTAL ARTS
Surtal Arts are a Derby based combined contemporary arts organisation with specialism in South Asian arts & culture, supported by funding from The Arts Council England.
Based in Derby for over 30 years, Surtal Arts exist to create educational experiences and cross-cultural productions that enrich the lives of everyone. Surtal Arts aims to create, celebrate and debate diversity in the arts and be a home for South Asian Arts learning and creativity and to deliver a body of innovative, contemporary new work that is relevant, meaningful and sustainable. Surtal provides on demand arts workshops in schools, college, health sector and care homes throughout the year, regular dance class & choir singing & organise annual festival Derby Season of Light & Derby Lantern Parade in partnership with various arts & cultural partners from Derby and Derbyshire. Surtal Arts is funded by Arts Council England. For further information please see https://www.surtalarts.co.uk/
For images or further information, please contact: Kathy Wilson, 07791441941 kathy@surtalarts.co.uk
